|
"MORTENSEN WAS ENGLAND'S INSPIRATION" Aberdeen
Journal |
Officials |
Italy |
FIFA ruling on substitutes |
England
Party |
Referee
(black blazer) Pedro
Escartín Morán
45 (8 August 1902), Madrid, Spain. |
The FIFA ruling of allowing a substitute to replace an injured player prior to the 44th minute, and a goalkeeper at any time, is in place.
|
Linesmen |
tbc |
tbc |
|
|
Italy
Team |
|
Current World Champions since 1938 |
Colours |
Dark blue jerseys with crew neck collars, white shorts,
dark socks. |
Rank |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 2nd |
Captain |
Victor Mazzola |
Manager |
Vittorio Pozzo |
third match, W 2 - D 0 - L 1 - F 6 - A
6. |
Italy
Lineup |
1 |
Bacigalupo, Valerio |
24 65 days |
12 March 1924 |
G |
AC Torino |
3 |
6ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Ballarin, Aldo |
26 127 days |
10 January 1922 |
RB |
AC Torino |
7 |
0 |
3 |
Eliani, Alberto |
26 123 days |
14 January 1922 |
LB |
Fiorentina |
2 |
0 |
4 |
Annovazzi, Carlo |
22 358 days |
24 May 1925 |
RHB |
AC Milan |
3 |
0 |
5 |
Parola, Carlo |
26 239 days |
20 September 1921 |
CHB |
Juventus FC |
6 |
0 |
6 |
Grezar, Giuseppe |
29 173 days |
25 November 1918 |
LHB |
AC Torino |
8 |
0 |
7 |
Menti, Romeo |
28 254 days |
5 September 1919 |
OR |
AC Torino |
5 |
4 |
8 |
Loik, Ezio |
28 233 days |
26 September 1919 |
IR |
AC Torino |
8 |
4 |
9 |
Gabetto, Guglielmo |
32 82 days |
24 February 1916 |
CF |
AC Torino |
6 |
5 |
10 |
Mazzola, Valentino |
29 111 days |
26 January 1919 |
IL |
AC Torino |
10 |
3 |
11 |
Carapellese, Riccardo |
25 320 days |
1 July 1922 |
OL |
AC Milan |
4 |
4 |
unused substitutes: |
not known |
team notes: |
The Italian team were reputedly on a win bonus of 100,000 lira each
[2020 equivalent £3651]. Bacigalupo, Ballarin, Grezar, Menti, Loik, Gabetto and Mazzola would
all be dead within a year, following the Turin Air Disaster. |
World Cup Champions notes: |
Italy beat Hungary in Paris on 19 June 1938 to become the reigning
World Champions, however, there are no surviving members of that team
in this fixture. |
|
2-3-5 |
Bacigalupo - Ballarin, Eliani - Annovazzi, Parola,
Grezar - Menti, Loik, Gabetto, Mazzola, Carapellese. |
Averages: |
Age |
27 years
125
days |
Appearances/Goals |
5.6 |
1.8 |
|
|
England
Team |
|
Rank |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 3rd |
Colours |
The 1946 home
uniform -
White collared jerseys, blue shorts, red socks
"England wore short-sleeved shirts.
They were made of cotton."
|
P 14th of eighteen, W 11 - D 2 - L 1 - F 53 - A 12. |
Captain |
Frank Swift |
Manager |
Walter Winterbottom, 35 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946; |
1st of 2, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 4 - A 0. |
Member-in-charge: Arthur Drewry.
Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic) |
0ᵍᵃ |
P 14th of 139, W 11 - D 2 - L 1 - F 53 - A 12. |
|
Original Party chosen by Selection Committee headed by Arthur Drewry on
Sunday, 25 April. Team chosen Saturday, 16 May. |
England
Lineup |
|
two changes
to the previous match (Howe & Mannion>Hardwick
& Pearson) |
FINAL league positions
(1 May) |
|
|
Swift, Frank V. |
34 140 days |
26 December 1913 |
G |
Manchester City FC (FL 10th) |
14 |
12ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Scott,
Lawrence |
31 23 days |
23 April 1917 |
RB |
Arsenal
FC (FL CHAMPIONS) |
14 |
0 |
671 |
3 |
Howe, John R. |
32 222 days |
7 October 1915 |
LB |
Derby County FC (FL
4th) |
1 |
0 |
28th County player to represent England |
4 |
Wright, William A. |
24 100 days |
6 February 1924 |
RHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC (FL 5th) |
14 |
0 |
5 |
Franklin,
Cornelius |
26 113 days |
24 January 1922 |
CHB |
Stoke
City FC (FL 15th) |
14 |
0 |
6 |
Cockburn,
Henry |
26 245 days |
14 September 1921 |
LHB |
Manchester
United FC (FL RU) |
5 |
0 |
7
|
Matthews, Stanley |
33 105 days |
1 February 1915 |
OR |
Blackpool FC (FL
9th) |
25 |
9 |
8
|
Mortensen, Stanley H. |
26 356 days |
26 May 1921 |
IR |
Blackpool FC (FL
9th) |
7 |
11 |
9
|
Lawton, Thomas |
28 223 days |
6 October 1919 |
CF |
Notts County FC
(FL3s 19th) |
22 |
22 |
10
|
Mannion,
Wilfred
J. |
30 |
16 May 1918 |
IL |
Middlesbrough FC
(FL 16th) |
13 |
8 |
11
|
Finney,
Thomas |
26
41 days |
5 April 1922 |
OL |
Preston
North End FC (FL
7th) |
12 |
11 |
the
143rd (10th post-war)
brace scored |
unused substitutes: |
Jack Aston (Manchester United FC (FL
RU)),
Alf Ramsey (Southampton FC (FL2 3rd)),
Bill Nicholson (Tottenham Hotspur FC
(FL2 8th)),
Stan Pearson (Manchester United FC (FL
RU)),
Bobby Langton (Blackburn Rovers FC
(FL 21st rel.)).
Ted Ditchburn (Tottenham Hotspur FC
(FL2 8th)) was a 'stay-at-home' reserve.
In case of an injury to Swift. |
team notes: |
Frank Swift was chosen to captain England on Thursday, 13 May.
Jack Howe was wearing contact lenses, becoming the first England
player to do so in an international match. |
records: |
This victory creates a new post-war record. England's have gone seven
games unbeaten, beating the previous record of six set between
1946-47. England's third fixture against the
World Cup Champions, W 2 - D 1 - L
0 - F 9 - A 4. |
goalscoring records: |
Stan Mortensen ends the season as top goalscorer, seven
goals in six matches, including a hattrick. |
The
England team trained in Stresa, overlooking Lake Maggiore, before
setting up in the Hotel Piedmonte in Turin the day before the match.
|
|
2-3-5 |
Swift -
Scott, Howe -
Wright, Franklin, Cockburn -
Matthews,
Mortensen, Lawton, Mannion, Finney. |
Averages: |
Age |
29 years
65
days |
Appearances/Goals |
12.8 |
5.2 |
oldest post-war team so far |
most experienced post-war team so far |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
The scoreline does not reflect the closeness of this contest. A huge
crowd, mostly white-shirted and dotted with black umbrellas under a
blazing sun, gave the teams a tremendous welcome as they came out.
England won the toss but Carapallese and Mazzola were soon worrying
their defenders. After four minutes, though, it was England who took
the lead. Stan Mortensen took a clever through pass from Stanley
Matthews, cut past the Italian left flank and shot home from an
unbelievable angle. It was a great goal, typical of such a great
player.
For the next 20
minutes England were rocked back on their heels. The Italian forwards
and wing-halves pressed forward with methodical precision. Yet on 24
minutes, and completely out of the blue, England suddenly increased
their lead.
This time Neil Franklin found Matthews. Again, a
through-ball reached Mortensen, who then changed pace twice to leave
Grezar and Parola floundering before hooking the ball back for Tommy
Lawton to shoot home a thunderbolt.
Before that goal, Menti
twice had goals ruled out for offside and Swift had saved brilliantly
from a Gabetto close-range header. Lawrie Scott also had to save a
shot from Carapallese on the goal-line and then, after the second
England goal, the same Italian forced Frank Swift into another fine
save.
Immediately
after the interval, Mazzola was clean through and had a golden
opportunity but he shot straight at Swift. On 59 minutes a header by
Gabetto rebounded from the crossbar and then Swift made yet another
brilliant save, diving full-length to stop the rebound from going over
the line.
Although England were now moving more comfortably
with Henry Cockburn coming into the picture more, Italy were still
very dangerous up front. Billy Wright was playing magnificently for
the visitors and he did particularly well to stop Mazzola and
Carapallese, Italy's best players.
With 19 minutes remaining,
England settled the match with two more fine goals in as many minutes.
A clever lobbed pass by Wilf Mannion was volleyed home by Tom Finney;
and the Preston player then netted again after good work by Cockburn
and Mortensen.
It was all over now and the game ended with
England giving Italy a football lesson. Their superior tactics,
individual brilliance and lethal finishing had won the day.
Swift, Wright, Franklin, Scott and Mortensen had all been outstanding.
|
Match Report
by Norman Giller |
Frank Swift
recovered from his rib injury against Scotland the previous month in time to
become the first goalkeeper to captain England, taking over from the
unfortunate George Hardwick. His first match as skipper was against the
two-times world champions Italy. Italy were stunned in the fourth minute when
Stan Mortensen sprinted 40 yards down the right wing before cutting in and
scoring with a screaming shot from an acute angle.
Following a series of stunning saves by skipper Frank Swift, Morty laid
on a second goal for Tommy Lawton, and two individual goals from Tom Finney
finished off the Italians late in the second-half. Derby County defender Jack
Howe, making his debut at left-back, was the first to play for England while
wearing contact lenses. There were tears among the shirt-sleeved 58,000
spectators in Turin's Stadio Communale as the Old Masters conquered the side
that had won the World Cup in 1934 and again in 1938. At the peak of Italy's
attempted revival in the first-half, it was Wright and Franklin together who
did most to repel the wave upon wave of Italian attacks, with Swift always
alert behind them as a magnificent last line of defence. He was so proud of
being made captain that he was going to refuse to let anybody put the ball
past him and spoil his big day. He saved at least half a dozen times when a
goal seemed certain. The Italian team included six of the gifted Torino team
that was tragically killed in an air crash a year later. Among the victims was
skipper Valentino Mazzola, whose two sons later went on to play for Italy. It
is chilling to think that both captains in the match against Italy, Frank Swift
and Mazzola, were later to die in air crashes. Big Frank died in the 1958
Munich air disaster when travelling with Manchester United as a newspaper
reporter.
|
Match Report
as reported in the F.A. Yearbook
1948-49, pages 26 to 28 |
Fifteen goals to one in three matches
is a record any team can be proud of, but the bare figures give little
idea of the extent of the England team's success. As many of the
journalists accompanying the official party reported, the tour was
more than a success of English football—it also showed that
sport can be one of a country's most valuable ambassadors. The tour
had originally been planned to include a match with Czechoslovakia,
but following changes in the organisation of the Czech F.A., this was
cancelled. An attempt was made to arrange a substitute game with
Spain, but when this was found to be impossible, at the last moment
the programme was completed by the inclusion of two matches with the
Swiss teams. The players...were all fit except Lawton who was still
suffering from an injury to the groin; he recovered sufficiently to
take part in the match against Italy, but was not included in the
matches against the Swiss elevens. The party travelled by air from
Northolt to Geneva, then by two smaller planes to Milan where their
reception was tumultuous. Here, as throughout the tour, flowers and
cheering crowds enveloped the players, whose prospects had been
discussed for weeks in the Italian press and whose reputations were
well known to the Italians. The four days before the Turin match were
spent at Stresa on Lake Maggiore in rest, excursions, sleep, and
training. After a morning of rain the afternoon of Sunday, May 16,
turned out to be hot and sunny, and by 5 p.m., the advertised time of
the kick-off, the Juventus Stadium at Turin was packed by 85,000
spectators. The Italian team had enjoyed a highly successful
season, and was made up of some of the best players seen for quite a
time in a country where the game is as popular and as well played as
anywhere in Europe; Italy had already defeated France 3-1 in Paris,
and in England's two previous visits the result had been a draw. Many
Italians believed that while English tactics and style had stood
comparatively still during and since the war, their own team's
development of the dashing, individual attack would make their victory
almost complete. The toss was won by Swift who chose to play
against the sun, anticipating that it would be a greater drawback to
do so in the second half. The game opened at a tremendous pace and the
Italian tactics gave the English defence plenty to think about. The
Italian forward line remained unusually far up, and were kept well
supplied by long clearance kicks by the backs. This made the task of
our half-backs difficult; on the other hand, once the English attack
got under way, they enjoyed unaccustomed freedom. England's first
goal followed a break-away by Mortensen who mis-led Bacigalupo into
expecting him to centre and scored with a difficult kick, just before
reaching the goal line. The second goal was also scored largely due to
Mortensen who, after a brilliant solo run which he evaded Parola,
centred low to Lawton who scored. In the second half the English
half-backs asserted their superiority in mid-field, and the attacks on
their English goal were less frequent, although the Italians continued
to put up a vigorous game. England's third goal came from Finney, who
volleyed a pass from Mannion straight into the net. The fourth and
last goal was also scored by Finney from a pass by Mortensen. The
result, 4-0, perhaps favoured the English side too generously, in view
of the brilliance of many of the Italian players and the tenacity of
their attacks. But there was no doubt among the spectators that the
English team, by their craft and instinctive sense of co-operation,
earned the victory.
|
News Thursday, 5 May 1949,
Belfast Telegraph |
"ITALIAN
SOCCER CHAMPIONS
"DIE IN PLANE WRECK — ONE ENGLISH VICTIM "Italy's champion Association
football team, the Torino F.C., with their English trainer, 38-year-old
former Manchester United star, Leslie Lievesley, were killed in a plane
crash near Turin on Wednesday evening. "The death-roll includes the
full team, at least three reserves, another trainer, three journalists,
the president of the club (Professor Agnesina), a masseur, and the crew of
the plane. In all the victims number 31. "The aircraft, which was
bringing the team back from a friendly match in Lisbon, was trying to land
on Turin Airfield in bad visibility when it struck the Superga hill and
burst into flames. "Fragments of wreckage were shot through the roof of
the famous BasIlića of the Superga, a burial place of the Royal House of
Savoy. The plane's wing-tip is thought to have touched the tower of the
BasIlića. "The Torino, five times consecutively winners of the Italian
championship, included many internationals, some of whom played against a
British team in Turin last year. "A one-week 'black-out' of all Italian
football may follow the crash."
|
In
Other News....
It was on 15 May 1948 that the touring Australian test cricket team
scored a world-record 721 runs in a single day against Essex at
Southend-on-Sea. Four players scored centuries with the great Sir
Donald Bradman hitting 187 in just two hours and four minutes. The
score remains the highest-ever total by a cricket team in one day
in a first-class match. Even the scoreboard was unprepared for the
total, as it only went up to 699! |
|
|
Source
Notes |
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports FIGC
Billy Wright's The World is My Football Pitch |
|
Rothman's Yearbooks Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
Norman Giller, Football Author
British Pathé |
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